Pocket savings-bank



(No Model.)

G. VAN ZANDT. POCKET SAVINGS BANK.

Patented Oct. 13,1891.

five/775):

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE VAN ZANDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POCKET SAVINGS-BAN K.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 461,176, dated October 13, 1891.

Application filed April 4, 1891. Serial 110.33%655. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VAN ZANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pocket Savings-Banks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical construction of pocket savings-bank, which while available to the owner thereof for the purposes of deposit can be forced open only by the holder of a key adapted for such purpose, in which waya savings-bank may issue such pocket savingsbanks to depositors but retain a key for opening the same, and thereby relieve the depos: itor of all temptation to open the bank and spend the money which has been saved up for deposit in the bank to his or her account.

A further obj ect is to construct said pocket. savings-bank so economically that a bank can aiford to give them to depositors and others.

Further objects are to providecertain novel and improved details of construction in pocket savings-banks, serving to provide a simple, reliable, and serviceable article.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a' pocket savingsbank embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a key for opening the same. Fig. 3 represents said pocket savings-bank in central longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the key applied for opening the bank, the way in which an end of the article is forced from the body of the same being illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a crosssection on line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents the slotted abutment or guard-plate. Fig. 7 represents the slitted elastic guard-washer.

The pocket savings-bank herein illustrated comprises a cylindrio body A, permanently closed at one end, and at its other end temporarily closed by an end cap 13, which is so secured to the body that in order to free it therefrom considerable pressure must be ex erted against the inner side of the cap. The cap can for the purposes of my invention be detachably secured to the body of the article in various ways, the mode of securement herein shown being to provide one end portion of the body A with longitudinally-arranged slits a, so as to give it a certain degree of spring, and to further provide it with an annular rib or bead a, corresponding with an annular bead b in the end cap B, by which construction the cap can be forced and sprung on the end of the body A, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein the cap is applied so that the internally-arranged annular depression formed by its bead 1) receives the annular bead a on the body. While,therefore,it is possible to push the cap off fromthebodyof the article such act will require a degree of force sufticient to free the bead on the body from its engagement in the depressionin thecap. The cylindric body is adapted for the reception of coin C, which can be packed therein, as shown, the internal diameter of the body being made in conformity with the coin to be acou mulated.

The endcap is provided with a slot 1), through I which the coin can be inserted, and as a means for preventing the coin from being shaken out or abstracted I arrange within thearticle just back of the slotted end thereof a slotted or slitted flexible or elastic washer D, made of some suitable elastic material, such. as rubber, and formed witha slit d, through which the coin can be passed into the pocket savings-bank. thickness of the coin, so that while it can be opened by the act of introducing thecoin, it will close as soon as the coin has dropped down into the savings-receptacle formed by hollow body A. To such end, therefore, the edges of the slit may normally meetor nearly meet, since by reason of the inherent elasticity of the washer-guard they will normally so come together as to prevent a coin from being shaken out.

As a means for holding the elastic guard or washer in place I back the same by a plate E, having an opening 6, said plate being of metal, wood, or other suitably-hard material. The plate E fits against the open end of the cylindric body A. against the outer side of the plate E, and said plate and elastic guard are clamped along their marginal portions between the end of the body A and the cap. The bodyA is also provided with a line of openings a through which the coin can be inspected.

The slit d is narrower than the The elastic guard fits The key F is formed with a screw-threaded spindle f and a nut f, consisting of an internally-threaded sleeve provided. at one end with oneor more laterally-arranged proj ections f and at its opposite end provided with one or more laterally-arranged projections f The key is also provided at one end with a suitable handle J.

In order to permit the introduction of the key into the pocket savings-bank the end cap B is provided with a centrally-arranged aperture b of sufficient area to permit the passage of the nut f The aperture 12 forms an enlargement of the slot 19, which latteris of sufficient width to allow the lateral projections or lugs f on the nut to pass. The elastic guard D is likewise provided with a centrally-arranged aperture at, large enough to allow the nut f to pass through it, it being observed that when the internally-threaded sleeve or nut is introduced through the central opening at in the elastic guard, its lugs f can be easily forced through the-slit d.

In order to open this pocket savings-bank the possessor of the key will introduce the same into the receptacle by passing the nut (adjusted on the end of the threaded spindle, as in Fig. 2) through. the end cap, elastic guard, and opening in plate E, so that the lugs f, on what may be termed the inner end of the nut, shall come opposite the plane of the inner or under side of theplate E, as in Fig. 4. The operator will then give the key a quarter-turn, so as to bring the lugs opposite the portions of plate E at opposite sides of its oblong opening, and while holding the nut against rotation by taking hold of its lugs f which serve as handles, the operator will turn the spindle in a direction to force its inner end against the top coin, as in Fig. 4, and thereby force the lugs f toward the end cap and against the abutment-plate Etc an extent to separate the end cap B from the body A, as indicated in dotted lines. While, therefore, the key forms a necessary adj unot and serves to complete the article, it can be retained atasavings-bank, while the pocket savings-bank proper can be given to a depositor to fill up with coin. It will also be seen thatin place of requiring the pocket savings-bank to be entirely filled with coin before it can be opened the depositor can at any time bring in his pocket savings-bank for the purpose of having its contents removed, and hence, while it may require, say ten dollars in coin to completely fill the article, yet itcan be opened if it contains a less amount.

While I prefer the arrangement herein shown, it is obvious that the body A closed at both ends and adapted to form a coin-saving receptacle could have a slot for the admission of coin at one end and an opening for the insertion of the key at its opposite end in place of forming the coin-admitting slot or opening, so as to admit both the coin and the key. It will be readily understood without special illustration that by providing the body with a detachable end and arranging a coin-admitting slot in one end and a keyhole in the opposite end of said body the coin can be introduced and subsequently the detachable end forced off from the body by operating the key in accordance with the principle hereinbefore set forth.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, in a pocket savingsbank, of the body A, closed at both ends and provided at one end with a slot for the admission of coin and a guard arranged within the receptacle adjacent to its slotted end and formed with a slit and elastic edge portions along the same, so that while a coin can be deposited by way of the slit it cannot be shaken out after it has been deposited, substantially as set forth. I

2. The combination,in a pocket savingsbank, of the body A, provided at one end with a removable slotted cap B, and an elastic slitted guard D, arranged Within the receptacle adjacent to the slotted cap, substantially as set forth. 1

3. The combination, in a pocket savingsbank, of the body A, closed at both ends and provided at one end with a slot for the admission of coin, a slitted elastic guard D, arranged within the receptacle adjacent to the slotted end, and an abutment-plate E, arranged just back of the said guard, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination, in a pocket savingsbank, of the body A, forming'a'coin-savings receptacle and provided at one end with a detachable slotted cap B, a slitted flexible guard D, and abutment-plate E, arranged and held between the cap and the adjacent end of the body A, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a pocket savingsbank, of the body A, forming a coin-savings receptacle having a closed end and a removable end, with a slot 1) in said removable end to admit coin and an opening to admit a key, and the abutment-plate E and guard D, havinga slit d and key-opening, both arranged within the coin receptacle adjacent to its slotted end.

GEORGE-VAN ZANDT.

\Vitnesses:

HERMAN SCHWERDTFEGER, FREDK. H. MILLs. 

